Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons

Have you ever made lemonade out of lemons?

That’s exactly what I did with Nick’s birthday cake.  In response to Friday’s contest, the correct answer is D!  (Congrats to Allison Poor for the first to post the correct answer!)That’s right, I put the top of the cake back on and served it to my guests.  And everyone loved it!

No, it didn’t look appetizing.  Yes, I was tempted to throw it away (or pawn it off on the guy in the parking lot).  But I didn’t.  I just couldn’t.  So I wiped my mounting tears, proudly carried the cake (messy fingers and all) into the restaurant and never looked back.  And it wasn’t just good cake.  It was great cake – a special recipe from the Dominican Republic, made by a dear friend. 

Plus, I learned yet another lesson in perseverance.  Lots of days, I feel a lot like that cake -- I’m barely holding it together, the middle is about to fall out, and if I hit another bump in the road I know I’m going to crack.  Then I start second guessing myself just because things don’t look pretty on the outside.  Why didn’t I plan in advance?  Did I really think I was going to be able to pull this off?  I’m spreading myself way too thin. 

One thing’s for sure.  I couldn’t go back and re-make the cake.  It was time for Plan B.  In fact, I’m firmly convinced that half of life is accepting where we’re at and moving on to Plan B.  And we certainly don’t have to act like everything is fine. 

Besides, Plan B usually has its own benefits.  I bonded with a few of those parents at Nick’s birthday party – yeah, we even had a few good laughs.  Would we have had as much fun if I walked in with a perfect birthday cake, totally put together?  I think not.  I’m probably forever tagged as the crazed mom with the messy birthday cake, but I’d rather be authentic than put on a show.  They got to see the real me.

And the real me is known to make lemonade out of lemons!  Have you ever discovered the benefits (and the humor) in Plan B?

For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. –Jeremiah 29:11